Open-water performance
was wild. First of all, at least in part because of the lobsterboat-like
flatness Bray had blended into the after sections, our test boat exceeded
theoretical hull speed, an unlikely phenomenon. Instead of topping out
at 11.7 knots, we topped out at 14.8 knots. Second, the boat accomplished
this feat smoothly. Her wake was efficiently modest, thanks to both the
lobsterboat flatness already mentioned and the teeter-totterish effect
of oncoming water swooping over the upper surfaces of the bulbous bow—the
weight of such water tends to nix stern squat, generate small running
angles, and reduce wake, according to Bray. And third, the 85’s bow
wave was small, thanks again to low running angles and the wave-cancelling
effects Bray says bulbous bows have on bow waves.

I loved driving the
85. Her Jastram hydraulic steering system had both a manual mode for wheel
steering only (14 turns lock-to-lock) and a power-assist mode, which cut
lock-to-lock turns to four and added both a jog lever and push-button
autopilot interface. The jog-lever setup was my preference—it was
responsive and fast. The manual mode served as backup in case of a power-steering
failure.

When I toured the engine
room, the most striking feature was engine placement—the main was
installed low enough to reduce shaft angle to zero, thereby boosting the
efficiency of the prop, which turns in a semitunnel. This last detail’s
important. Most single-screw boats back either to port or starboard due
to paddlewheel effect—but not the 85. Barring wind and current, her
tunnel nozzles water straight aft instead of allowing it to paddlewheel
to the side.

Also striking was how
the gensets were mounted: one on a double-insulated raft to port and one
unconventionally atop the V-12 main, within a steel frame bolted to the
engine bearers. In terms of freeing up extra space, as well as taking
maintenance accessibility to new heights, the big Dutchman’s genuinely
onto something here.

Near bursting with the
pride of ownership, Krieg showed me around the 85’s Honduran mahogany
interior. The saloon, just a few steps abaft the wheelhouse, offers the
same sort of warm, clubby atmosphere as the wheelhouse. It even boasts
an electric fireplace. The dining area, opposite the fully equipped, U-shape,
port-side galley, seats eight. Below decks there’s an amidships master
that at 20'x23' is huge. A couple of large VIPs lay forward, as well as
an office and a laundry room, and there’s a comfy crew quarters all
the way aft.

The level of finish
I observed throughout the interior was high, the work of a talented British
Columbian subcontractor. But as I shifted to the exterior, detailing began
to look more workmanlike, with little snafus here and there, like the
occasional untidy application of adhesive between deck planks or a bit
of raggedness between brightwork and paint.

None of this detracted
from the essence of the Cape Scott 85, however. Hints of her builder’s
commercial-fishing boat heritage on the outside were merely indicative
of innovative, ABS-classed engineering within.